That One Blue Feather
by Orioseo
Summary: There is a war among the aliens, and now one side is attcking Earth! Kish, Pai, and Tart have come to the Mews to seek help and aid them in their battle. Can the Mew crew save their planet ... again? Rated T for cursing and such. (MintxKisshu!)
1. Opaque Feather

"RIBBON! MINTO ECHO!"

Mew Minto shot her attack angrily at the gigantic grasshopper that she was fighting. The kirema anima leaped quickly out of the way, only to rebound twice as fast and land on her. She shouted as she fell, scratching a deep gash in her arm from the anima's claws. Suddenly, it was yanked off of her.

"RIBBON! ZAKURO SPEAR!" The grasshopper shrieked in pain as Mew Zakuro's attack squeezed it into sparks and dust. Mew Minto got up slowly and brushed herself off, looking at her onee-sama with adoration.

"Thank you, onee-sama! That was a great attack!" Zakuro looked down at her little companion and half-smiled.

"Keep your guard up, Mew Minto. The alien wouldn't have gotten you if you were more careful."

Mew Minto's eyes popped into sparkles and she smiled widely. "Of course, onee-sama!" She and Zakuro ran off to the others, who were completely surrounded by animas.

"RIBBON! MINTO ECHO!"  
>"RIBBON! ZAKURO SPEAR!"<p>

The animas hissed and backed away as they turned to face this new enemy. Mew Lettuce, Mew Pudding and Mew Ichigo took their chances to attack them while their backs were turned.

"RIBBON! LETTUCE RUSH!"  
>"RIBBON! PUDDING RING INFERNO, NA NO DA!"<p>

The aliens squealed piteously as they were battered with geysers and then encased in glowing orange cylinders of jello. One could almost feel sorry for them.

"RIBBON!"

Almost.

"STRAWBERRY CHECK!"

The aliens were engulfed in pink spheres that rose up, sparkling, before destroying the animas within them. The Mews dissolved back into their normal forms as they watched the last of the aliens shrink. Masha suddenly flew up to collect the small aliens that were left behind. Pudding stretched happily.

"Another job well done, na no da!" Lettuce smiled at the youngest member.

"Yes, but where did all these animas come from so suddenly?"

Ichigo frowned. "I don't know … Keiichiro-san and Ryou were looking for the source, but I don't think they've found it yet …"

Mint yawned lazily. "Well, we'd better get back. They might have some results by now."

The five girls trudged back toward Café Mew Mew. What they didn't see was a pair of red eyes watching them from the shadows.

The eyes narrowed as their owner smirked. "So these are the Mew Mews that the king was talking about?" The eyes slowly retreated, disappearing into the shadows.

"They have no clue of what's in store for them …"

~::*::~::*::~

Ryou leaned back in his computer chair and shook his head. "No, nothing. No signs of anything on the planet other that the animas."

Mint crossed her arms. "Did you even look in the right places? There's no way that the animas could create themselves, you know."

Ryou raised an eyebrow at her. "I've searched every spot in Japan and the neighboring continents for aliens. Keiichiro has also helped me look with satellites for any signs of them, but still, nothing." Ryou sighed, rubbing his temples. "So yes, I believe that we've searched in all the right places."

Mint frowned as Ichigo leaned forward a bit. "But surely there's some spot left that you haven't looked in!" Just as she was finishing the sentence, Keiichiro came in with seven cups of tea. He placed the tray on the desk beside the computer and smiled at Ichigo.

"We haven't finished searching yet, but we have a hint of who might be creating the animas."

Lettuce's eyes widened. "A-aliens?"

Ichigo scowled. "So, they dared to come back, huh?"

Pudding's eyes were wide with confusion. "But I thought we made peace last time, na no da! Why would they attack us now, no da?"

Ryou shook his head, lips set thinly. "Not Pai, Kisshu and Taruto. We're talking about some different aliens. Some who want to destroy the Earth. Destroy us."

Mint's eyes narrowed worriedly. "So that means …"

"…that we need more help." Ryou finished, eyes set on the computer screen.

~::*::~::*::~

"Aw, Pai … I was having the best dream ever and you just woke me up."

Kisshu glared at his taller companion from where he was sprawled upside-down across the swivel-seat. Pai glanced down at him blankly and turned back to the controls for the ship.

"I am sure that the dream will come back to you. 85.9 percent of dreams recur to one while he sleeps, and 28.7 percent of those dreams are not nightmares." Pai pressed a button that caused the ship to move forward. "So I am afraid that you will just have to wait for your, ah, 'best dream ever'. Hopefully it is in the 'not nightmares' category."

Taruto strutted into the room, looking extremely pleased with himself. Kisshu smirked and rotated right-side-up in the swivel chair.

"Aww, Taru-Taru, did you finally use the potty all by yourself?"

Taruto instantly turned and angry shade of puce. "Shut up! For your information, I just crossbred a Venus Fly-thingie with a Swiper Vine! I call it: the Venus Swiper!" Taruto ended his announcement with one arm raised in a glorified position. When he got no applause, he huffed and dropped his arm. "You idiots! The thing can lash out at anyone a bite their head off! You're supposed to applaud!"

Kisshu snickered, reached over and flicked Taruto on the forehead. Taruto snarled and whirled on him angrily. Kisshu sighed, bored, and lounged back in his chair.

"Yeah, yeah, little Tart just made another discovery. Who cares? You barge in every few days of the week squealing about making a new plant. Well FYI, no one cares anymore. Most of you little creations are useless anyways." Taruto swelled up angrily with every word Kisshu said, and finally he popped, leaping at the lounging alien.

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"

"Not in a lifetime, _twerp._"

"OOOOOOOH!"

A pulsing tic mark appeared above Pai's head as he angrily whirled on his two scuffling companions. "WILL YOU PLEASE! I'M TRYING TO FORMULATE THE CORRECT ORDER OF BUTTONS!"

Kisshu and Taruto froze, staring at Pai in shock. Pai, truth be told, looked a little surprised at himself. He turned back toward the controls, silently initiating a lightboost. As the countdown began, he sat in his seat and sighed.

"I advise you two to put on a seat belt."

"Lightboost initiating in 10 …"

Kisshu and Taruto scrabbled over the seatbelt to the chair.

"Hey, twerp, I was here first!"

"9 …"

"Meh, who cares? I'm a kid so my safety comes before all!"

"8 …"

Kisshu stopped squirming and smirked. "You just said it."

"7 …"

"What?"

"6 …"

"You just admitted that you were a kid."

"5 …"

"W-WHAT? I-I DIDN'T MEAN IT!"

"4 …"

Kisshu giggled. "Hahaha! Course you didn't … _kid._"

"3 …"

Taruto flushed with rage. "Gimme that belt!"

"2 …"

Pai sat back in his seat.

"1 …"

Kisshu and Taruto froze. Suddenly they started scrabbling madly for the belt.

"Nononononooooo!"

"Lightboost initiated."

And Kisshu and Taruto were thrown mercilessly into the wall and then squashed by the very chair that they had been arguing over. Pai sighed and gripped the arms of his chair.

"Tokyo Mew Mew, here we come."


	2. Pink feather

"Moshimoshi?"

"Berri?" Ryou adjusted his cell, setting it to speakerphone so everyone could hear.

"Ryou!" Berri squealed, nearly dropped her chocolate cake in her excitement.

"Oh my God I've missed you guys so much it is so lonely here in Kyoto even though Tasuku is here with me bacause I miss the cafe and you all and Ichigo and Mint and all of you and especially the -"

"Berri!" Mint shouted, stepping fowards. "Slow down a minute!" Berri hushed at once.

"A-Ah,_ gomen_ ...it's just that I'm so excited to hear from you ..." She sounded embarrassed, and Ichigo stifled a giggle behind her hand.

"It's fine, Berri. We just need to ask a few questions." Ryou took control. "Has anything strange occured in Kyoto in the last few months?"

"Well ..." Berri fidgeted on the other side of the line, frowning as she bit into her snack. "We have been getting an influx of kirema anima," she said slowly, "But we don't know where they're coming from."

"Really? Around what area?"

"Lake Mizuiro, mostly. Though there are some in a few parks as well, but those parks are situated around the lake."

"Hmm ...strange ..." Ryou turned to Keiichiro. "Check around that area for any traces of anything ...unnatural." Keiichiro nodded and hurried off.

Berri took another bite of cake. Her neck prickled, and she glanced behind her into the darkness of her kitchen, but found nothing. She frowned.

"Hey ...I feel like there's someone here ..."

"Berri?" Ichigo stepped closer to the phone, concerned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I think there's someone watching me -EEK!" Berri's shriek was the last thing the Mews heard from her. There was sound of a scuffle on the other side of the line before everything went quiet again. Suddenly, a cool voice spoke into the phone:

"You are being watched." And the line went dead.

Pudding's eyes were wide. "Berri-onee-chan! What's happened to her, na no da?"

Ryou's brows were furrowed, his expression worried. "I don't know, Pudding ...but whatever it is, it can't be good."

"We have to investigate," Ichigo declared. The rest of the Mews nodded.

Everyone could tell Berri was in trouble.

~::*::~::*::~

Mint sighed as she reclined in her chair. She watched her teammates' usual antics with a bored expression, with Lettuce squealing and dropping plates before vehemently apologizing, bowing, and repeating the process, and Pudding flipping and cartwheeling orders to tables. Ichigo scrambled madly, covering for both herself and the lazy Mint. Mint smirked before taking another sip of tea.

_Kirema Anima are popping up everywhere, _she thought. _But why? Who's sending them? Why did they take Mew Berri? __And what do they want from _us? She frowned as she thought, barely noticing the last customer leaving with a cheery wave as the doors were shut for the day.

"Mint!" The latter was startled from her contemplations as a seething Ichigo appeared at her shoulder. The pinkette glared at her.

"Your slacking nearly killed me of exhaustion! I know you're lazy, but you could at least help out once in a while!"

Mint sighed, rising with her cup. "I can't risk ruining my nails in order to cater to the petty demands of commoners."

Ichigo exploded. "WHAT?! _COMMONERS_!" Her cat ears and tail sprang into existence with her excitement. "I'll show you commoner _fists_ -! _Nya_!"

Lettuce stepped in between them, sweat-dropping. "C-Calm down, you two! I'm sure Mint-san will work hard tomorrow, right, Mint-san?"

Mint rolled her eyes, but agreed with the shy girl, taking another tea sip. "Yes, as you wish, Lettuce."

"See?" Lettuce looked to Ichigo hopefully, who huffed as her ears and tail slowly faded.

"I guess that's good enough."

Ryou then burst into the room holding a small phone-like device in his hand, Masha flying after him. The robot's eyes were wide, and his wings fluttered frantically.

"Otherworldly life forms close to this area! Aliens! Aliens, Ichigo!"

"What?" Mint quickly set down her cup, pendant at the ready. "Have Kirema Anima appeared also -?"

"No, but the forms are closing in on the cafe ..." Ryou squinted at the device, a frown on his face. "Wait, they've ...disappeared?"

Mint, Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding, who had just finished packing up dishes, leaned to the device, just in time to see three blinking red dots dissapear from the small map displayed on the screen.

"But, na no da," Pudding said slowly, "Then that means -?"

As if in reply, the cafe doorbell rang. All five of them jumped, and Keiichiro appeared from the back room, striding to the door with a warm, welcoming smile.

"I will simply rell them that we're closed," he assured the quintet. Ichigo sprang forward, hands outstretched.

"Keiichiro-san, _no_ -!"

But her warning came too late. Opening the door, Keiichiro's smile fell from his face as a surprised expression took its place.

Standing in the doorway was our three favorite aliens, Pai, Taruto, and Kisshu.

"Yo, Mew Mews! We're _baaaack_!"

~::*::~::*::~

"Koneko-chan!" Kisshu darted to Ichigo and swiped her into his arms, cuddling her. "I've missed you so! Have you missed me?"

"Never, you alien creep!" Ichigo shoved him away, darting behind Mint, who blinked. "Masaya will always be plenty for me!"

Kish grinned at her nevertheless and leaned around Mint, reaching for Ichigo. He was surprised to find an arm blocking his.

"She said no. Are you just stupid, or do you not know when you're being rejected?"

Kish slowly withdrew his arms, looking at Mint with surprise. They had never interacted more than was necessary, and he was taken aback by her daring to come between him and Ichigo's dispute.

"I know a birdbrain when I see one."

"What did you call me?"

"I called you a _birdbrain_. B-I-R-D-B-"

"How about you take _that_ and shove -" Mint stopped herself. She would _not_ stoop to such lows. Clearing her throat, she set down her freshly poured tea and sniffed haughtily, lifting her nose. "Enough of this. I will _not _be contaminated by your stupidity. You are too immature to be worth of my attention, knave."

"Immature enough to do ...this?"

In a flash, Kisshu had lashed out, knocking the teacup from the plate and spilling it onto Mint's work outfit. She shrieked and leaped up, staring in disbelief at her ruined raiment. Gritting her teeth, she leveled an icy-cold furious glare at the snickering Kisshu.

"You ...spilled ...tea ...on ...me ..."

"Yep." Kisshu leaned back, relaxing and smirking. The rest of the party looked on, unsure. This fight looked like it was about to get real ...

"_I WILL **KILL** YOU, YOU UNCIVILIZED_ -"

"U-Uh, Mint-chan, why don't we go get you cleaned up, hm? I'll get you more tea." At the last two words, Ichigo glared at Kisshu, slinging an arm around her friend's shoulders. She led the enraged parakeet Mew to the washing rooms.

There was a brief silence after the door had closed behind them, and then Pai cleared his throat formally.

"Well, seeing as that is over ...we must move on to business. I must explain our ordeal to you in hopes that -"

"What? Why do you always get to explain? Can't one of us do it?"

"Kisshu," Pai said sharply. "I think it'd be best if you left." Kisshu's golden eyes widened.

"Wha -"

"_Now_."

"Okay, _mom_." Kisshu grumbled as he got up, stretched, and lazily floated over to the door. Once he was outside, Pai sighed and turned his gaze to the table.

"Now, as I was saying ...as you know, our people were once the inhabitants of this Earth. We destroyed this planet, however, because of our own recklessness, and were forced to vacate in order to stay alive."

"Where did you go, na no da?" Pudding interrupted curiously. Taruto hushed her loudly.

"Shut up! He's getting to that part."

"Sorry!"

"Shhh!"

Pai continued, ignoring them. "Our planet does not really have an accurate equivalent in Japanese, but I suppose we can call it ..._Cynicia_. After we settled there, our race divided into two subgroups, the Cynipcians and the Clyconi. We, as in myself, Taruto, and Kisshu, are members of the Cynipcians. After you gave us Mew Aqua from our last encounter, there was a major dispute between the two groups. The Cynipcians claimed that they should have the Aqua first because of us belonging to them, and the Clyconi argued that as the inhabitants of the ...bleaker side of the planet, they should use it first. They fought, and war ensued. Finally, the Cynipcians emerged victorious, and used it to nourish the land which we live on. And the Clocyni were only able to gain a very small portion of the original Aqua, not nearly enough to make their land as inhabitable as they would like.

"This is where your planet comes in. The Clyconi are convinced that they can find more Aqua here, despite the warnings of our ambassadors that there are no more. They will stop at nothing to get it if they believe it is here ...and their main obstacle is you, Tokyo Mew Mew."

"That's terrible ..." Lettuce whispered. "That there was a war ...e-even though you belong to the same race ..."

Pai sighed, gazing at her. His face softened oh-so-slightly. "Yes, I agree. I did not want to fight, and neither did Kisshu, but we had to ...or else Taruto ..."

"I could've fought! I-I could've helped!" Taruto frownned at Pai, scowling. His face fell, and his head dropped. "But you wouldn't let me ..."

"It's okay, Taru-Taru ..." Pudding, rarely serious, leaped onto the table next to him and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. "You're still strong in your own way, na no da!"

"G-Get off me, I already know that!" Taruto's face was flaming, and even Zakuro smiled at his embarrassment and attempts to throw the monkey Mew off of him.

"So, will you ...assist us?" Pai glanced from Ryou to Keiichiro, his expression stoic as always but his eyes glinting in slight desperation.

Ryou looked at Keiichiro, who gazed back solemnly. Lettuce piped up again,

"Please, Ryou-san, Keiichiro-san ...what would you want if it was you?"

Ryou's resolve broke, and he sighed. "Very well. We will help you, on one condition."

"Yes?"

"If we find more Aqua, do everything you can to prevent war on your planet. You must _share_ it. And if you hurt any of my Mews ...there will be dire consequences." Ryou glared levelly into Pai's eyes, getting the message through. Pai nodded.

"Yes. You have our sworn word."

"Good." Ryou stood.

"And now ...it is time that I have a talk with Ichigo."

~::*::~

**Starri: Oh goodness, I have no idea how I screwed this chapter up, but I'm so terribly sorry for the new readers that I confused! Also, I apologize for the long update, but my schedule is rather packed as of late. I'll see if I can clear some time, though!**

**Please R&R! Every time I get a review, a warm fuzzy feeling spreads through my heart ...:)**


	3. Gray feather

**Starri: Thanks for the reviews, guys!**

**Kisshu: I'm starting to like this! I get to tease Birdbrat and Squirt more! Heheh!**

**Mint: Why you ... *raises hand***

**Starri: *blocks* Whoa, guys! Lay off the fighting and save it for the story!**

**Mint&Kisshu: =_=''''**

**Starri: And on that note, Teto, do the disclaimer!**

**Teto: *opens mouth to speak***

**Pudding: HYAAAA! *knocks Teto out* Nuh uh, it's Pudding's time to shine, na no da! Starrishine does not own Tokyo Mew Mew, just this story, nao da!**

**Starri: Nooooooo you knocked her out! Bad monkey! Bad monkey!**

**Pudding: *rolls eyes* I'll show you a bad monkey ...**

**Starri: *takes out mushroom* Grrr! *stops* Wait, why am I gonna kill you? You're just like Teto, only not addicted to bread!**

**Pudding: Or a chimera.**

**Starri: Well, now, you could be my new disclaimer-announcer for this story!**

**Pudding: *bounces* ARIGATO! ARIGATO! WAHOO!**

**Starri: *sweatdrops* Anyway, please enjoy the chapter.**

Meanwhile, while Pai was explaining their ordeal to the remaining Mews ...

"Ugggh! I can't _believe _that knave spilled my own tea on me! MY OWN TEA!"

Mint was seething in a fluffy blue robe, waiting for her clothes to dry. Ichigo attempted to subdue her hot-tempered friend.

"Now, now, Mint. You know that Kisshu is just immaturity and disrespect at its best. You should just ignore him until he gives up."

Mint calmed down a little and plopped onto a chair with a sigh. "I know, Ichigo. Pfft. You know how I get when commoners do things like that."

Ichigo swatted playfully at the bird Mew. "Hey! I know who you mean when you say 'commoners'." Mint giggled, cheering up.

"Well, it's only fair."

"Is not!"

"Is definitely too."

"Not!"

"See, you commoners can't even stick to complete sentences." Mint yawned, and Ichigo, who was sure that her friend was completely cured, abruptly turned around, smiling.

"Grr, I'm going to go check on Ryou."

She didn't leave soon enough to miss Mint's lazy retort.

"My, my, quite the player, aren't we, Ichigo? First Pretty Boy, then Big Ears, and now Blondie. Tsk, tsk. Sometimes I worry about yo-"

Ichigo closed the door with a little more force than was nessecary, struggling not to hiss. Yep, Mint sure was cured.

Suddenly, she was greeted by a shadow at the foot of the stairs. "Hey, Ichigo."

She jumped, of course. "Nyaaa!" Ryou stepped foward, rolling his eyes.

"Always the springy strawberry. I bet you can't look at your own shadow without trembling."

Ichigo flushed indignantly. "If you're going to act this way, then I should be getting back to the kitchen!" She was about to whirl around and stomp off, but was stopped by Ryou saying,

"Ichigo, wait. It's really important." She looked athim curiously.

"What?"

"Mew Berrii." Ichigo tensed, remembering the voice that she had heard on the phone line.

_You are being watched ..._

Ryou uncharactaristically placed a hand on the pink Mew's shoulder. "I want you to go with me to find her. She's the newest member, I know, but new or not, we can't let anyone take her."

Ichigo nodded, determination sparking in her eyes. "But ... what about everyone else?"

Ryou sighed and removed his hand from her shoulder. "They have to stay here and fight the kirema animas. If you all go, who'll defend Tokyo?"

Ichigo bit her lip to stop it from trembling. She couldn't ... she couldn't leave her best friends behind! But ... she glanced toward Mint's door. She couldn't lead the team while she was away ... but she had to save Berri. Though she was going to leave, that didn't mean that the team had to fall apart in her absence.

"Right, I'll go!" Ichigo nodded her head, solemn and determined. She was going to save Mew Berrii. And, together with all the Mews, they could save the planet.

Again.

Ryou nodded, a slightly proud expression in his eyes.

"I would have expected nothing less, Mew Ichigo."

"When are we going to go?"

"Let's see ..." Ryou rubbed his chin. "Tomorrow. We need to get to Berri as soon as possible."

Ichigo frowned. But that only left her half a day to enjoy with her friends ...

"Time to announce it to the other Mews." The pinkette nodded, slighly drooping. This was going to be hard ...

Ichigo took a deep breath and turned toward the dining room. It was time to tell her friends.

Just as she walked in the doorway, for some reason Pudding was juggling plates and Pai had a funny expression on his face, almost like he was hiding something. She smiled weakly at the scene and moistened her lips.

Pudding stopped spinning her plates and set them down, sensing something wrong.

"Ichigo-onee-chan? What's wrong, na no da?"

"Gomen ... everyone ... I'm leaving tomorrow."

~::*::~::*::~

**With Mint in the backroom ...**

Mint smirked as Ichigo slammed the door. Once again, she'd managd to ruffle the cat Mew's fur and cheer herself up.

"I still got it," She whispered, smirking.

"Still got what?" The blue Mew whirled around to see that infernal alien, Kisshu.

"Wh-wha-YOU!" She immediately leaped to her feet, glaring accusingly at Kisshu. "What are you in here for, you uncivilized barbarian?"

Kisshu snorted. "Barbarian? Sounds more like you."

Mint flushed angrily. "How dare you speak to me like that!"

Kisshu smirked. "I dared because I wanted to." He yawned, bored. "Little birdie's got her feathers all bent up, eh?"

Mint flushed and even darker shade and opened her mouth, speechless.

Kisshu yawned again and turned to leave. "Well, see ya, birdbrat. I've enjoyed teasing you."

That was the final straw. Composing her voice, Mint called, "Hey, Kisshu?"

"Hm?" He turned about halfway around before he was met by a perfectly manicured hand making impact on his left cheek.

**_SLAP!_**

He jawdropped. That bird had just slapped him. _Slapped him._ No one had _ever _dared to slap _him!_

Mint was a bit surprised at herself for doing that, but triumph quickly overcame her shock. She smirked coolly.

"See ya. I've enjoyed the slapping session." And with that, Mint turned around haughtily, opened the door, and stepped out, leaving a shocked and red-cheeked Kisshu on the floor behind her.

**Starri: Well, sorry for the late update but I've been all over the world getting school supplies. Bleh.**

**Pudding: Whoa! Masaya and Tasuku are covered in dust, na no da!**

**Starri: No worries, Pudding-chan. They'll be in the story ... soon ...**

**Pudding: Anyways, please review and pudding will do some tricks for you, na no da! :3**


	4. White feather

**Starri: I've been busy with orientation ... but that won't stop meh from writing! :D**

**Pudding: Starrishine does not own Tokyo Mew Mew or any of it's characters, just this story's plot, na no da!**

**Starri: Enjoy if you will!**

"Whaaaaat? You're _leaving?"_

"Ichigo!"

"You don't have to go!"

Ichigo was surrounded by her friends and sweatdropping by the time Mint entered the kitchen in her robe. She stared quizzically at the scene before her.

"What's going on?"

The others immediately stopped flustering Ichigo to just move over to Mint and start flustering her.

"Ichigo-onee-san's leaving, na no da!"

"Ichigo-san is going to find Berry tommorrow!"

"It's not faaair, nao da! Who will come to America with us for the new power?"

Mint stared at Pudding, shocked.

"America? Whoa, whoa, whoa. Explain."

And so Lettuce and Pudding started to explain to Mint about the new power similar to the Mew Aqua that Pai had located in America. Mint glanced from one to the other as she attempted to comprehend their words, sincedthey were chattering at the same time. Thankfully, Pai, sweatdropping, stepped in to help her out.

"Lettuce-san, Pudding-san, let's explain this to Mint on the plane tomorrow. She must be tired from all the events of today."

Lettuce blushed and Pudding grinned.

"Right! Sorry, na no da!"

"S-sorry, Mint-san."

Mint just shook her head at her two friends. _Who's flustered now? _she sighed inwardly.

Taruto stopped triwling and apple rind idly as he remembered something. "Hey, where's Kisshu?"

Mint sat down, picking up a random cup of tea to start sipping it. "Oh, I slapped him, so he's probably still in shock. Beastly commoner."

There was a moment of stunned silence. Suddenly, the room exploded into noise.

"WHAT! YOU SLAPPED KISSHU?" Taruto burst out in cackles.

"Nice job, Mint!" Ichigo seemed overly happy as she grabbed Mint in a bear hug.

"You ... slapped Kisshu? He is NEVER going to hear the end of this." Pai smirked broadly as he leaned back in his chair.

"Mint-san ..." Lettuce sweatdropped, as she was against violence.

"Wow! Mint-onee-chan has some guts!" Pudding grinned widely and slapped Mint a high five.

Ryou was struggling not to laugh and Keiichiro sighed, knowing that something like this would happen eventually.

"Should I go check on Kisshu?" Keiichiro whispered over to Ryou.

"Nah, he probably wants to be left alone. Moping about how a _girl _got to hit him."

"No, I got over it and now I'm going to try not to be pissed off."

Ryou snapped his head around to see Kisshu standing at the entrance to the room with a large red hand-print on his cheek, eyes narrowed dangerously. Immediately, everyone stopped talking and stared at him. Taruto snickered.

"Nice makeup, Kish. Did you apply it yourself?"

Kisshu shot him a dangerous glare. "I'll apply some on you if you don't keep your mouth shut."

Mint leaned back in her chair, draining the cup and placing it softly down on the table. She smirked inwardly, happy that the Cyniclon had learned his lesson. This is what you get when you mess with the bird Mew.

Kisshu stopped scowling and his gaze shot to Ichigo. "Now, what's this I hear about my kitty leaving?" He glanced at Ryou. "And with the perverted blondie?"

Ichigo bared her teeth. "Look who's talking!"

Before she could react, Kisshu had grabbed her and was stroking her hair. "Aww ... my little strawberry is fiesty today ... let me calm you down a bit ..."

Ichigo snarled and struggled angrily. "Let me go before I mess up your other cheek!"

Turning away from the two's antics, Mint sighed and got up to put her cup in the kitchen sink.

It was gonna be a long day.

~::*::~::*::~

"ICHIGO-ONEE-CHAN!"

"Don't leave us!"

"We will miss you ..."

"Love you, Koneko-chan!"

Ichigo sweatdropped and ignored the last comment, which was from Kisshu. Pai, and Ryou discussed the new healing substance, while Keiichiro was pouring two cups of iced tea for him and Taruto, who was quiet for once. But only one voice caught her attention.

"Ichigo."

She turned toward the usually sarcastic blue Mew. But this time, Mint had a serene and serious look on her face as she gazed steadily at Ichigo. Suddenly, she reached foward and embraced the pink Mew, much to Ichigo's surprise. Realizing what she was doing, she quickly let go and resumed her usual sneer.

"You'd better not screw up, kitty. Or else I'll have to fly in and fix things as usual, and I'll never let you hear the end of it." She sniffed daintily, lifting her chin. "Got it?"

Ichigo smiled at her friend. She knew Mint wasn't as cold or arrogant as she seemed. The cat Mew saluted her friend. "Roger, commander Mint-chan!"

Mint rolled her eyes, turning away, and went to a nearby bench to sit down. She gazed around her at the large Tokyo airport. Her flight was only in a few hours ...

"Goodbye, Mint-chan! Bye Pudding! Bye Lettuce, Bye Zakuro-san! I'll see you late-"

Ichigo was cut off by Ryou shoving her impatiently into the plane. "Yeah, yeah, they get it."

Ichigop poked her head out and smiled at her friends. "Goodbye everyone! See you later, nya!" And then she was gone.

Mint and the other Mews waved at the plane, and they continued even after it took off. Mint felt a lump in her throat, but quickly stuffed it back down. Now was NOT the time for weakness.

But she couldn't help thinking about the pink Mew that had just flown off. Somehow, Mint was already missing her.

~::*::~::*::~

Mint sighed and relaxed back into her plane seat. First class, if you can believe it. Even though she'd had to contribute money to get them ALL into first class ... it was still pretty much worth it.

The plane was still on the ground as the pilots and attendants waited for everyone to take their seats. So far she'd had the row all to herself, for which she was thankful. Mint didn't need anyone to ruin what was promised to be a peaceful flight.

"Yo, birdie!"

...Or not.

Kisshu slid into the seat next to her, grinning smugly. "I reserved this seat just for me so I could be next to you. Now we can have fun the whole flight!"

Mint fumed, turning six diferent shades of pink while she glared out the window. She couldn't believe this! She almost wished Ichigo was here so that he could annoy her instead.

"Why can't you go annoy someone else? I'm busy."

Kisshu lifted his chin and tapped his nose. "Well, first of all the fish is sitting with Pai, the monkey's sitting with the squirt, I don't have anything against Tea Man and the wolf is kind of snappy. And second of all, you don't look very busy to me." He stoped tapping his nose and smirked at the bird Mew. "So I decided that since my kitten is gone I might as well get to know you better, birdbrat."

Mint stiffened instantly.

"What ... did you call me?"

Kisshu stuck his tongue out childishly. "Birdbrat. Got a problem with that?"

Mint's hand was instantly in the air. "Why you ..."

_"Hello, all Tokyo passengers! This is your flight attendant speaking. Please buckly your seat belts, as the plane will be lifting off shortly. One of our volunteers will now show you what to do when or if we reach low oxygen levels. First you pull the ..."_

While the flight attendant jabbered on about oxygen masks, Kisshu and Mint argued loudly.

"I told you not to call me that!"

"I can if I want to."

"And I can shut you up if I want to, too."

"I'd like to see you try."

"I've done it once, do you really want me to do it again?"

"Well I'm talking now so apparently it didn't work."

"Why I'm gonna-"

They were almost to the point of yelling, and the cranky old couple sitting behind them was starting to get irritated.

"Hey, little girl! Will you and your fiance shut up? I'm trying to hear!"

Mint and Kisshu instantly turned dark shades of red. Fiance? Now _that _was going WAY to far.

Kisshu turned around and gazed at the old man who had spoken. "Do we really look old enough to be married to you?"

The man grunted. "The way you're acting, it seems y'are!" He and his equally old spouse guffawed at his joke, slapping their knees, until the woman's dentures flew out.

Mint sank down in her seat and slid her seat belt on. Why did she have to be the one in these situations? What did she do in her past life, kill her mother and marry her father? Like the dude in the Greek myth?

Mint resumed staring out the window as the plane lifted off. Soon, she bagan to feel lighter and a smile crept onto her face. This was her element. Sky.

Suddenly, she felt a poke on her cheek. She whipped her head around to glare at Kisshu, who was leaning back with his eyes closed.

"What?" she snapped, angry at the green-haired alien for disturbing her moment. Kisshu opened one eye and peeked at her.

"Y'know, a smile suits you a LOT more than that scowl you always wear. You should wear it more often."

Mint stared at him. Eh? Was this even the real Kisshu.

"Who are you and what have you done with that pointy-eared smartmouth?" Kisshu rolled his eyes.

"I give complements sometimes to people other than my dear kitty. You should be happy; they're really rare."

Mint snorted and turned back toward the window, looking at Tokyo from above. The city looked so small, though still wide, from inside the plane. Almost like one of those city maps. Like you could pick up one of the cars or buildings and twirl it around in your fingers.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft snore from behind her. She turned around again to see Kisshu dozing in his chair, his arms folded serenely over his chest. Mint suppressed a giggle. Boys fell asleep so easily.

Mint stared at his face. He looked so ... peaceful. No sneer adorned his face, no smirk narrowed his eyes. He looked almost human. Not to mention like a cute human.

Mint blushed at her thoughts and turned away. What was she thinking? She didn't like that arrogant, foolish, teasing, disrespectful, lousy,_no-good _alien! She sniffed and propped her chin up on her fists. She might as well sleep too ... after all, they were going to be staying in New York, the city that never sleeps.

So the little songbird laid herhead against the headrest and placed her hands into her lap as the flight attendants rushed to the lavatory to unclog the toilet.

**Starri: OMG! I'm so sorry for the late update ...**

**Pudding: Her computer went and crashed, na no da ... *sigh***

**Starri: So ... it'll be a few days before the next update, but I promise to make the next chap a long one! :D**

**Mint: R&R, commoners ... or I'll force you to make me tea ...**


	5. Green feather

**Starri: So, here's the newest chapter! I might put a love scene in this one ...**

**Pudding: OOH, can't WAIT, na no da!**

**Starri: *sweatdrops* Y'know, it's easy to read a love scene but uncomfortable to write one ... the only thing that gives me solace is that there are things much more embarrassing that this out there lol**

**Pudding: *rolls eyes* Starrishine does not own Tokyo Mew Mew, just the plot of this story, nao da!**

**Starri: Enjoy!**

Mint was suddenly jolted awake by the screams of a few passengers. She bolted upright in her seat, stepped awkwardly over the still dozing Kisshu, and peeked into the plane's walkway.

A medium-sized guy with rust-colored hair was standing over one of the isles, lips curled in an arrogant smirk. His companion, a tall, bulky man with slick black hair, stood quietly behind him with a silver-haired little girl perched on his shoulder. They all seemed to be staring at the occupents of the isle. The rest of the planes passenger cowered in their seats for unknown reasons, trembling violently.

As Mint looked over the scene, she suddenly felt a wave of fear sweep over her, so powerful that she stumbled blindly and fell into Kisshu's lap. Of course, as fate would have it, he chose that moment to snap awake.

Kisshu smirked at her, then leaned over and whispered, "I thought you wanted to do this later, Minty-chan? Oh well. The seat's as comfortable as a bed anyways ..."

Mint blushed furiously and leaped up, stomping angrily on his foot. "Sh-shut up! As _if!" _She heard the men in the walkway speaking and shut up, motioning for Kisshu to do the same. He looked, at her, confused, and leaned over to see what she was staring at.

"We know you're friends with the pink one. Just tell us where she is." The orange-haired guy simpered.

The man with the black hair cracked his knuckled threateningly. "Tell us now. Or else we'll force it out of ya. Ya'll end up the same as the rest of these humans, ya will."

It was then that Mint noticed the strangers' pointed ears. _Aliens?_ she wondered. _But then, they must be with-_

"NEVER! Pudding and Lettuce-onee-chan will NEVER tell you where Ichigo is, na no da!" Pudding's brave voice piped up over the aliens'.

"Shut up, monkey! You don't know what they-" Taruto was cut off by the silver-haired little girl snapping a finger. He clawed at his throat, seemingly at a loss for words.

"Now." The girl had a cold voice as she landed on the floor with agility. "Back to business. Where is the pink Mew?"

Mint suddenly heard Kisshu's voice, looking up to see that he has made his way over to the aliens and was now floating lazily near the ceiling.

"I'm afraid that my kitty is on extended vacation." Kisshu tilted upside down, yawning idly. "But if you like, I can leave a message for you. Not likely that she will ever respond, though. She ignores all mine."

The rust-haired alien looked up, eyes narrowwing a bit. "Ah, Kisshu, how nice to see you again. You've been well, I presume?"

Kisshu grinned down at the stranger. "Of course, my dear Mordecai. Looks like you've had it going on, eh?"

Mordecai giggled, patting his tall companion. "I have indeed. Alex and Kira are the only friends who've stuck by me through the war." Mordecai frowned at Kisshu, eyes narrowing some more. "Too bad we lost contact. You could have joined us."

Kisshu turned upright and glared at Mordecai, a slight smirk still on his face. "Yeah, too bad. Although if you're bound to be a failure, not much of a loss, is it?"

The two were interrupted by the plane tilting to the side, causing the aliens to hold on to the seats while yelling in protest. Kisshu watched, floating where he was. It was two bad that he, Pai and Taruto were the only ones with that ability.

Mordecai got up, and the little girl, kira, tugged on his sleeve. "Mordecai, we should go. The captain will crash us if we stay here. I don't think the pink one is travelling with them."

Mordecai frowned, but closed his eyes and nodded. "Very well. Come Alex, come Kira. We shall resume this later." With that, the three dissolved into black blurs as they teleported away.

Mint clung onto her seat as the plane lurched violently again. "What in the world is going on?" she muttered, making her way to the control booth. As expected, both pilots were passed out cold, and the autopilot was conveniently broken.

Mint sat in the pilots seat and looked frantically at the many buttons and mechanisms. What the heck! She had no idea planes were this complicated! As she hovered desparately over the dashboard, the plane did a full barrel roll.

Kisshu suddenly appeared behind her and slid into the copilot's seat, clutching onto the armrests.

"ANY IDEA HOW TO DRIVE THIS THING?" he shouted over the terrified screams of the passengers.

"NOT A CLUE!" Mint yelled back.

Kisshu glared at her. "YOU'RE A _BIRD,_ FOR GOD'S SAKE! GO ON INSTINCT!"

Mint gulped and grabbed the control stick. "Okay, okay, come on, Mint, take a deep breath ..."

All of a sudden, the whole dashboard glowed blue. Mint suddenly knew what she was doing, pressing random keys with one hand as she steered the plane with the other. "Okay, flight control, rudders, fuel, lights, altitude, tail ..." She managed to get the plane back in control just as the Statue of Liberty came into view. The bird Mew let out a relieved sigh.

Kisshu grinned at her. "Nice going, birdy."

Mint pulled down the intercom and turned on the speaker.

_"Passengers, this is your replacement pilot speaking. We have now arrived in New York, New York. Feel free to stop screaming and sit down in your seats. Please refrain from taking off your seatbelt until the command is given. Thank you, and enjoy your stay."_

The screaming stopped as the passengers relaxed, giving relieved sighs. Mint allowed herself a full-blown smile.

"That was magnificent! I never knew I could fly a plane!" She turned to Kisshu, who was looking at her with a uncomprehensable expression. "What?" she asked. He shook his head and turned away, muttering to himself.

"Nothing, nothing. You were great." He abruptly got up and walked out of the control room, leaving Mint there with two unconsious captains and a confused frown.

~::*::~::*::~

"Taru-Taru! Look at that salon, na no da! It looks nothing like the ones we have in Japan!

The eight companions were now exploring their temporary city. Thankfully, they all knew English, and now they were basically window-shopping down Broadway.

"Taru-Taru! Look at _that _salon, nao da! It's even better than that one!"

"I don't get it," Taruto whined. "If there's already a salon right there, why do they need another one? These Americans sure are weird."

Keiichiro chuckled while Pai shot Taruto a repproving glare.

"Taruto, not everyone is aware of our customs. Americans have their own unique ways, and you should learn to respect that." Taruto poked his lip out and let himself be dragged off by Pudding to look at more shops.

Lettuce blushed slightly as she looked up at the many lit signs on the tops of buildings.

"Wow, New York is such an amazing place! There are so many colors and shops ... it reminds me of Tokyo a little." She glanced back down to find Pai watching her.

"D-don't you agree, P-Pai-san?" She stuttered slightly, shyly looking down at her feet.

"Of course, Lettuce-san. It is a place of many wonders, and many mysteries also."

Lettuce blushed and smiled at Pai, earning a slight tinge of pink from his cheeks as well.

Kisshu, who was watching all the while, wolf-whistled as Mint giggled at them. At this, Lettuce blushed even more deeply and Pai shot a glare towards Kisshu. As they were about to start arguing they were interrupted by a loud whine from the other side of the street.

"No, monkey girl! I am NOT going into _that!"_

"But why not, na no da? It looks all fancy and cool, nao da!"

"No! It's the type of place that old couples go to when they want to forget about dying the next day! Absolutely not!"

Keiichiro interrupted the two's argument with a sweatdrop on his temple. "Pudding-chan, Taruto-san, what is the place that you're arguing about?"

Pudding tightened her grip on Taruto's wrist and pointed to the restaurant in front of them. It was an elegant twilit restaurant with the words _Le Sanctuaire des Amants _written in curly orange neon cursive.

Lettuce, who had taken many language classes in her high school, slowly read over the title, mouthing the words, and blushed again, this time turning a deep shade of maroon. Mint shot her a quizziacal look, but the green Mew had already turned away, still blushing.

Taruto began whining again. "See, what'd I tell you? It's horrible. Isn't it the sort of place that makes you want to-"

"It seems good enough to me. As long as I'm starving, I don't really care _where _we eat, as long as I get some food." Kisshu began to walk in but was stopped by Keiichiro.

"I'm afraid that I left my checkbook back at the hotel. I don't have anything to pay for-"

"Ah, nonsense, Birdie-chan always carries her pocketbook so it can be her treat!" Kisshu shot a sly glance at Mint. "Right, Birdie-chan? Come on, a proper princess always cares for her subjects."

Mint openes her mouth, but no sound came out. Everyone was staring at her hopefully, save Taruto, who was shaking his head violently and doing the 'quit' sign with his hands.

If there was one thing about Mint, it was that she didn't do well under peer pressure.

"All right, all right! But you all owe me for this! And you can't order much either! No appetizers, and desserts must be under-"

"Yeah, we know, come on, let's eat!" In a flash, Kisshu was gone and so were the others, leaving Mint outside with an angry Taruto.

"What could I expect? Old ladies always have the least sense of style."

And he dissapeared inside before she could give him a slap.

~::*::~::*::~

By the time Mint had reached the tables, the group was already paired off in the own individual little spots. Each table only seated two people, after all, the name of the restaurant was pretty obvious as to what was going on inside ...

The bird Mew had given them each 70 U.S. dollars, for them to spend as they please. Now all she had to do was find a place to sit.

Kisshu was standing over a table, arguing with Taruto.

"I was here first, squirt!"

"Nuh uh, old man! I got here way before you!"

"That is such a lie!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is NOT!"

"Is TOO!"

"Is NO-"

"Taru-Taru! Just let Kisshu-onee-chan have the table and we can go find a better one, na no da! Maybe one near the _dessert cart, _na no da!"

Taruto considered this for a moment, then shrugged. "Fine. But I'm winning next time." He trotted away with the monkey Mew, still grumbling something about tables.

At once Kisshu turned to Mint, who had been watching the little squabble, and flashed her a grin. "Shall we sit, Birdie-chan?"

Mint stared at him for a moment. "What are you talking about?"

Kisshu shrugged, crossing his arms. "Well, everyone else has paired off but us. So I suppose that if I'm stuck with you, I might as well make the best of it."

Mint felt a sudden flash of irritation. _Stuck with her?_ These commoners couldn't see a blessing if it kicked them in the-

"Well, are you coming are not?" Kisshu had already slid into his seat and was tapping his fingers impatiently on the table.

Mint growled, pulled out a chair, and dusted it off before daintily sitting in it and giving Kisshu a kick under the table.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Oh, sorry, I do believe that my foot just slipped."

Before Kisshu could make a retort, a young American brunette came over to them, straightening her tie. She smiled warmly at the two companions.

"Hello, I'm Martha. I hand out the menus to every even table. Your server will be here in a moment, and I will replace them if they are not." Martha softly placed a menu in front of the two, blushing when Kisshu winked at her suggestively. Mint gave him another kick, and he glared over at her.

Mint picked up her menu and looked through the options. All of te entrees seemed to be for two, and there was no way in _hell _that she was sharing something with that creature that was sitting across from her. She glances up at said creature, only to see him cleaning a fingernail on the corner of the menu.

The bird Mew shook her head. Apparently mannaers was not something they taught back on Kisshu's home planet.

She looked through the menu again. Well, what was the point in getting an entree is there were plenty of good appetizers to select?

The bird Mew glanced from appetizer to appetizer, wondering what she could possibly order that she could finish by herself. Ravioli, maybe? Or how about some lasagn-

"Greetings. My name is Martin. I will be your server tonight. Would you care for anything to drink?"

The young man looked about maybe 15 or 16. He had black hair and blue eyes, and a slim, but not too skinny, frame. His teeth were a dazzling shade of white, and he held himself like a prince would.

Mint stared with her mouth slightly open. _Rawr. _Martin turned to her and smiled.

"How about you, ma'dame?"

Mint quickly collected herself and straightened herself up.

"Yes, please. I will have a glass of sweetened ice tea, if you please." She glanced back down at the menu, hiding her blush.

Kisshu noticed and frowned. He felt some kind of weird tingling in his chest. Anger? No, no ... envy? Definitely not! What was there to envy about _this _guy?

He cleared his throat. "And I'll have a lemonade. Extra ice."

Martin scribbled down their orders without taking his eyes off of Mint. "Right. Your drinks will be here shortly."

Mint watched as his form retreated. Suddenly she glanced down at her menu, realizing what she was doing. _What the ..._ she thought, scanning the appetizers again. _I barely know this guy!_

"Hello, Birdie-chan!"

The blue Mew's head snapped up. Kisshu sounded impatient; he must have been calling her for quite a while.

"W-what?" She glared at him.

"Let's split something."

"No way!"

"Why not?"

"You have the worst table manners of anyone I've ever met!"

"Why are you sitting with me then?"

"Everyone else already has a partner!"

"You know as well as I do that you could have sat at an empty table."

Mint's temper skyrocketed. It was all that she could do to keep from screaming in public.

"Why don't I, then? It's best to be away from you!"

"Fine, go ahead. No one really wants you around anyways."

At that, Mint bolted upright, grabbed her pocketbook, and shoved in her chair.

"Borrow some change from someone else!" she spat, turning on her heel. The bird Mew stormed angrily through the door, passing their waiter on her way out. He set down his tray and looked at her worriedly.

_Must be th guy she was sitting with ..._

Mint's face was a bright, angry shade of red. She didn't even care that it was starting to rain.

"No one wants me around, hmph? At least I'm more wanted that that bastard!"

The blue Mew knew it wasn't ladylike to curse, but she didn''t care a bit. She sat down on the curb, her dress getting soaked.

"I don't want to fight," she murmured, propping her chin on her fists. "Why do I always let him fluster me?"

Thunder crackled. Mint made no move to get to shelter. The rain seemed to soak into her skin, chilling her to the bone.

"Why am I thinking about him, anyway? I don't like him. I don't like him at all." She shivered violently and clutched her pocketbook closer to her chest. "Urggh ... it's so cold ... but I don't have the hotel key ..."

The cold rain strengthened into a downpour. Mint shivered again and finally got up, shaking.

"I need to get back to that restaurant and ask Keiichiro for the key."

She looked around at the buildings. Not one of them was familiar.

"Am I lost?" She rolled her eyes and trembled harder. "What a dumb question ..."

At this time, the sheet of rain was so thick that nothing beyond a two-foot radius was visible. Mint reached for her phone, then remembered that she was wearing a dress. She reminded herself to slap whoever had invented pocketless dresses.

She was utterly alone. Nobody was on thne streets ... after all, who would be out in this kind of weather?

A strong gust of wind shoved against her, making her topple over. She made no move to get up.

As she lay immobile, just before her eyes closed, Mint saw a pair of eyes. They were a light brown ... no, golden?

_Funny, _she thought, _I've never seen anyone with golden eyes before ..._

And as she faded into the darkness, she felt herself being lifted up.

_And so here is my ascent into heaven ... I just knew I was going there ..._

With those final thoughts, she passed into oblivion.

**Starri: Here we are! Much earlier than I expected ^v^**

**Mint: What the! I'm supposed to slap him, not run away!**

**Kish: Sau-weet! I pissed her off again!**

**Starri: *sweatdrops* Anyways, review and I'll make Kisshu spend the night with you~**

**Kish: Wait, wha-?**

**Starri: AND CUT!**

***fades into blackness***


	6. Yellow feather

**Starri: Yo, people! Sorry for not updating ;P. School has kept me busy, and now that I'm starting high school I won't be able to update as frequently.**

**But no need to fear! I'm gonna start doing looong chapters like the last one, hopefully I'll reach over 900 words again :D**

**Pudding: Starrishine does not own Tokyo Mew Mew or anyone in it, na no da! Just the plot of this story and the bananas she pays me with!**

**Starri: I hate paying in food ...**

**Anyways, this will be about what happened to Pudding and Taruto while Mint was with Kisshu. Enjoy!**

**_Pudding and Taruto's restaurant time_**

"ALL RIGHT!" Taruto cheered, swiping another strawberry e'claire from the dessert cart. "You're the best, Pudding!"

PUdding grinned, blushing, and Taruto realized what he had just said.

"Uh, no! You aren't the best, just the best at finding good spots! Not anything else! Erm, I mean, uh ..."

He was saved from trying to stutter his way out by their waiter appearing.

"Hello ma'am, sir. My name is Joseph, and I'll be your server tonight. What would you like to drink?"

Pudding's eyes widened in delight. "Ooh, you're so _formal, _na no da! Extra on the tip just for that! I'll have a banana smoothie, please, nao da.."

The waiter blushed and looked down in embarrassment. "Th-thank you, ma'am. What about you, sir?"

Taruto scanned the menu, frowning. "Uh ... I'll have a ..."

"He'll have a lemonade, na no da!"

"Wh-what?"

The waiter scribbled down their orders and backed away. "Your drinks will be here in a moment." With that, he dashed away, still flushing.

Pudding grinned cheerfully as she set down her menu. "Wasn't he polite, Taru-Taru?"

Taruto grumbled and ducked his head behind the dessert choices. "Yeah, yeah, the heck is a lemonade?"

Just then, they heard a loud exclamation from the other side of the restaurant, seemingly belonging to Mint.

"Borrow some change from someone else!" She then burst into view, stomping angrily out of the door.

Pudding stared after her, worried. "Looks like Kisshu and Mint-onee-chan had a fight, na no da ..."

Taruto snorted and turned back to his menu. "Who cares? She'll come back sooner or later."

Pudding frowned, a little crease in her eyebrows. "I don't know, Taru-Taru. Mint-onee-chan looked really mad."

Taruto rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at her. "Stop being such a worrywart! The bird'll be fine."

Pudding narrowed her eyes playfully and stuck her tongue out in return, just as the waiter came back with their drinks.

"Here you are, sir, ma'am. One banana smoothie and a lemonade. Sugar cubes on the side." He set the tray down carefully and pulled out his notepad again. "Are you ready to order?"

Pudding flashed a bright white smile up at him. "We'll split the mushroom ravioli, na no da. Extra tip if you prepare it in under twenty minutes, no da~!"

The waiter hurriedly scritched their order down and rushed away.

Pudding merely beamed. "You gotta know how to talk to 'em, na no da!"

Taruto sighed inwardly and didn't even bother asing what a mushroom ravioli was. It was probably disgusting, just like the lemonade was sure to be.

Pudding pushed his glass towards him. "Try it, Taru-Taru! You'll like it~"

Taruto frowned at her and shook his head. "No. It might as well be poison than American food."

Pudding scowled tauntingly and stuck her tongue out. "You're just afraid of what you don't know of."

"Am not!"

"Is too!"

"Am not!"

"Is too!"

"Am NOT!"

"Prove it!"

"Fine, I will!" And without thinking, he took a long, angry pull at the lemonade's straw. The flavor positively _exploded _in his mouth.

Pudding fidgeted in the silence. "Well ..?"

Taruto bowed his head, seemingly in despair. Pudding grew worried.

"Taru-Taru? What's wrong, na no da?"

He suddenly snapped his head up, eyes sparkling with anime-like stars.

"How is it that such _delacacies _could exist? Why haven't I ..." He wiped tears of happiness. "Tasted this before?.!"

Pudding beamed widel. "I knew you would love it, na no da! But it still can't beat a banana smoothie!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Oh yeah!"

"Not true!"

"_So _true!"

They argued on, oblivious to the waiter arriving with the ravioli and then leaving as quickly as he had come.

And though neither of them realized it, they didn't mind to much about the expensive food.

Or the entrees just for two.

Or people whispering that they were the cutest couple of the night.

Because something was starting to bloom between them.

Cupid had struck again.

**Starri: There was a short, sweet, kind corny chapter. Dangit, why do I love corn?**

**Taruto: *opens mouth to speak***

**Starri: Shut it, midget. Anyways, please R&R!**


	7. Brown feather

**Starri: SO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE DX! School is just weighing me down right now, as well as other problems :P. I got lazy and didn't do Pai, Lettuce, Zakuro, and Keiichiro's parts, but I'll add them on as a bonus at the end of the story if you want me to!**

**Pudding: I was satisfied, na no da! Pudding is ALWAYS right!**

**Taruto: Nuh-uh!**

**Pudding: Yuh-huh!**

**Pudding&Taruto: *goes off to argue***

**Starri: Ehm ... well ... we'll pick up where the story left off. Hope you enjoy!**

Mint's eyes slowly opened into darkness. She sat up abruptly. She couldn't tell exactly where she was, only that she was on a bed and that it was night, judging from the city lights and stars that twinkled outside her balcony window.

Mint groaned. How long had she even been out? She knew for a fact that losing track of time would definately not help her. She glanced to the right, noticing a small bedside clock, which read 3:37 A.M. She groaned again.

The bird mew placed her feet on the cool carpet and moved along the walls, feeling for the light switch. She finally felt the little nub in the wall and flicked it on, blinking to adjust to the sudden flash of light. What she saw next made her gasp.

She wasn't in her hotel room. She knew this because the balcony and windows had bars on them, and the door was secured with a big padlock. She muffled a squeak, glancing around frantically. Who could have put her here?

Mint's eyes were drawn to a small peice of paper sitting on the floor in front of the door. She walked over to it and picked it up, eyes scanning the words.

**_TURN AROUND._**

She did, ducking instinctively just in time to avoid a pale white hand that shot past her, intending to grab her. She heard a soft laugh.

"Interesting. Your reflexes are almost as fast as the cat's. Though you've been infused with a parrot, you posses a cat's agility too. Hmm..."

It was Mordecai. There was no mistaking the tousled, dusky brown bangs that swept into the pale face and over the dark golden eyes. Mint backed away warily, clutching at her neck but grasping air. Moredecai chuckled in amusement.

"Mmm, afraid your pendant's gone. You see, bird-chan, I couldn't take any chances with someone as skilled as you. Your activation device has been stored in a high-security vault that only I know the code to." He chuckled again, and the sound sent chills up Mint's spine. "Don't try anything, either. I have reflexes much faster than yours."

Mint's dry throat was suddenly moist again. "Why am I here? Wh-what do you want from me?.!" She swore inwardly at her stuttering.

Mordecai took a step towards her. She backed away nervously, eyes darting around for a weapon.

"Now, now, birdy-chan. You won't find anything to use against me here."

"Answer my question!"

The dusky alien swept a hand through his hair. "Ah, well I couldn't let Kisshu have you to himself, now could I?" He teasingly swirled a strand of her hair over his finger, but she yelled and slapped him away. "Besides, you're so adorable that I just _had_ to take you. The rest of your friends lacked the charm that you posses."

Mint backed away again as Mordecai took another step. "Well, those _friends _are going to be here to save me any minute, so you had better watch yourself!"

Mordecai didn't look the least bit fazed. "You think I let them know I took you? They probably think you died or something, running out in the rain like that. And in case they decided to come after you, I sent a few of my, ah, _pets _out to entertain them." The alien took yet another step foward and Mint pressed back against the wall.

"What are you going to do to me?.!"

"Nothing terrible," Mordecai said, leaning towards her. She shivered as his breath blew across her face, smelling of tea and peppermints.

"Do you have a suitor?"

Mint turned her head, struggling to not be hypnotized by those eyes. "N-none of your business!"

"Mint." He moved closer; their faces were only inches apart. "Answer me."

She shut her eyes, blocking him out. "No!"

He sighed and the bird Mew shivered again. "Then I guess I'll have to force it out of you..."

And all to fast he had flipped her over and pinned her on the bed. She struggled feebly.

"Mint. I won't have to do this if you just answer me. It's a simple question that requires an even simpler answer." She said nothing.

"Do you have a suitor?" Mordecai repeated.

"No."

The alien chuckled and released her. "All the better for me."

When he left, the tears met no resistance.

~::*::~::*::~::*::~

"We have to go find her, na no da! Mint-onee-chan's in trouble, I can feel it!"

Lettuce looked up from playing with her fingers, equally worried. "Pudding-chan is right. Mint's been gone for an entire day; something might have happened to her."

Pai glances up briefly from Keiichiro's laptop screen. "Regardless, our main mission is to find the American Mew Aqua."

"Which we can't do without Mint-onee-san!"

Keiichiro sighed, running a hand through some loose strands of hair. "Pudding-chan, you have to understand that we are trying, but if the other aliens get to the Mew Aqua before we do, who knows what they might use it for?"

Pudding tugged on the end of her pajama shirt irritably. "I _do _understand, na no da, but I don't want to just sit here while something has onee-chan!"

"Perhaps it's more like some_one_." A voice came from the other side of the room, and they all looked over to see Zakuro, her eyes closed and her hands folded neatly over her chest. She spoke again.

"Those aliens that attacked us on the plane were looking for Ichigo, and she's the most pwerful of us. They assumed that we'd be with her, so that's why they followed us and not Ryou. But if they figured out that she was in another location, they might have wanted to get it from us. Of course, we've stuck together until the restaurant. That time ..."

"... if Mint was alone, and there was nobody near her ..." Lettuce looked down as she whispered the words, understanding at last. Silence hung over the room like a storm cloud.

Pudding abruptly stood up. "I'm -"

_**BRRRINNNGG!**_

Keiichiro's cell phone cut her off. The brown-haired manager quickly ripped it out of his pocket.

"Moshimoshi?"

_"Gonban wa, Keiichiro, it's Ryou. We found Berry, all tied up and heavily guarded. It was a close fight, but we got away. We're on our way to New York right now."_

"Okay, what time is the plane arriving?"

_"Exactly 10:47 A.M. Berry has something to tell you, so make sure you're there."_

"Okay. Goodbye, Ryou."

_"Goodbye."_

Keiichiro turned his phone off speaker and clicked it shut. Lettuce looked worriedly at Pai.

"10:47 tomorrow? But what if they've done something terrible to Mint-san by then?" She looked panicked.

"Lettuce-san, Mint-san is storng enough to resist without getting herself hurt. You need not worry about her." Pai unthinkingly took her hand, realizing his action too late. They blushed and stuttered.

"E-erm, forgive me-"

"It's fine, I dont mind-"

"I didn't mean to-"

"I shouldn't have panicked-"

"ARRGGGHHH!" Taruto, the occupant of the room, angrily stuck his head out from under a pillow. "Can't a kid get some damn _sleep?.!"_

"Language Taru-Taru, na no da!"

"What! This is my room!"

"But who's paying for it, nao da?"

"Someone who curses as much as I do!"

The two youngsters continued to squabble as Pai and Lettuce, no longer stuttering, looked on amusedly. Zakuro and Keiichiro softly discussed battle strategies while sipping fresh tea. Of course, none of them had noticed from the start that someone was missing.

And that someone had already taken action in looking for Mint.

~::*::~::*::~::*::~

Kisshu floated around the bright city of New York, keeping to the shadows. The others could squabble all they wanted, but _he, _at least, was going to take some action.

He ducked as yet another beer can was tossed from a high window. _Shit, how many drunkards are there in this damn city? Though Tokyo is really not much different ..._ The green-haired alien alighted on the roof of the same restaurant that Mint had ran out of, staring up at the barely visible stars.

_Ugh ... Pai was right, I _am _a smartass. I shouldn't have insulted Mint like that. _He rested his head on his knees. _Why do I tease her so much? I'm almost as infatuated with her as I am with koneko chan ..._

He stretched out on his back, closing his eyes. _Ichigo ... where are you now? I wonder if you're thinking of me ... of us ..._

He snorted, rolling over. _Of course she isn't, hah. She has pretty boy already. Damn it, why do all the cute girls have to be taken?.!_

Suddenly, Mint's smiling face on the plane popped into his head. He tried and failed to stop the blood from rushing to his cheeks.

_What am I thinking! I don't even _like _her! _Her look of joy morphed into one of hurt, just like at the restaurant. Kisshu flinched and shooed the image away.

_I know I don't ... so why do I feel like this? Koneko is the only one for me! _But the alien knew that he was lying to himself, even though he didn't want to accept it. He rolled over yet again.

_Or ... is she?_

That night, he dreamed of dancing girls with parrot wings.

**What is in store for Mint? Will Kisshu find her in time? What was Berri's news? Who won at the end of Pudding and Taruto's argument? Where is the mew aqua? Who are you peaople and why the heck am I asking you all this stuff?**

**Find out in the next chapter or TOBF!**

**Starri: I hope you liked it! Please review, they energize me and give me the motivation for new chapters! A cookie to my reviewers so far! :D**

**See you next chapter!**


	8. Purple Feather

"Ryou, Berri and Ichigo should have been here a few minutes ago..."

"3 minutes and 67 seconds exactly."

"Ugh, these American flights are always late! That's because the Americans are so disorganized!"

"Taru-Taru, remember what Pai-onii-sama said about respecting other cultures, na no da!"

"Listen to Pudding, Taruto."

Taruto scowled and crossed his arms, tugging irritably at his jean-jacket. "Whatever, Pai. Those old people had just better hurry up."

Zakuro sipped her coffee, and next to her Keiichiro browsed through a magazine while sipping green tea. Lettuce sat next to Pudding and Pai, attempting to read the English version of _Harry Potter._ Though her language skills were proficient, there were still many words she did not know.

Pudding glanced towards the gateway and was delighted to see people filtering out. She alerted the others.

"Look, na no da! The flight's here! Let's go see Ichigo-onee-chan!"

She and Lettuced leaped up and dashed over to the gateway. They waited for a few seconds until Ichigo, Ryou, and Berri finally emerged with their luggage. Pudding pounced immediately.

"Ichigo-onee-chan! Berri-onee-chan! I missed you so much!" She then proceeded to engulf the two Mews in a bone-crushing hug.

"Waah, Pudding-chan!" Ichigo giggled.

"Nice to see you too," Berri smiled.

Ryou scowled. "What, I don't get a greeting?" He crossed his arms.

Lettuce shyly approached him, bowing her head. "W-Welcome back, R-Ryou-san."

Ryou smiled and ruffled her hair. "Glad someone remembered me."

Pai's eyes narrowed into slits as he glared at Ryou. Taruto, who was stuffing his face with a donut, was quick to notice.

"Ah, somebody's jealous~"

"In a manner of speaking, shut up." Pai growled, and Taruto quickly resumed gobbling his donut.

"Anyway, Keiichiro, we have a lot to tell you, but ..." Ryou glanced around before lowering his voice. "We had better find somewhere more private."

"Yes, let's," Keiichiro said, nodding gravely. "As we have news to tell you too."

The group, finishing off their snacks, made their way out of the airport to board the bus that would take them back to their hotel.

~::*::~::*::~

"All right," said Pai when the group was seated around the coffee table in his room, "Tell us what you have discovered."

"Well," Berry said, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt, "After the aliens captured me, they took me back to this secret building place and tied me up. They demanded information about Ichigo-chan and the rest of the Mews, but I wouldn't tell them anything. Then Ichigo-chan and Ryou-kun came and released me, and we had to fly here quickly to avoid them capturing us. B-But somehow, they followed us a-and I think they're meeting up right now!"

"What?.! Oh, no! Mint-onee-chan! Those aliens that captured her have backup now, and they might do something horrible to her -"

"Huh? Pudding-chan? What do you mean, Mint-chan's been captured?"

Ichigo frowned worriedly, and Ryou looked shocked.

"W-Well, when we got here, we decided to go and eat in this little restaurant, and Mint-san agreed to give us all a bit of money to pay for our meals, but then Kisshu-san decided to go and sit with her. He must have said something, because the next moment Mint-san shouted at him and stormed out! But then, a s-storm started, and it j-just got h-h-heavier, and we had to go back t-to the apartment, a-and the next d-day when w-we looked for M-M-Mint-san we couldn't ... f-find ..."

Lettuce choked off and wiped her eyes, shaking with silent sobs. Ichigo gasped.

"H-Hey! Where's Kisshu?"

"Ah, I didn't even notice his absence!" Pai's eyes widened and he looked around him.

"I haven't seen the jerk since last night," Taruto commented airily. "Probably in his room moping about his girlfriend."

"No," Pai said slowly, "I knocked last night and recieved no answer. I simply thought he was taking a shower or something of the sort, but perhaps ..."

"He might have gone looking for Mint-chan," said Berry. There was a moment of silence before Rou spoke up.

"Well, I think we can trust Kisshu on this at least. We can let him search for Mint while we go find the new Mew Aqua. If we get it and he still hasn't found Mint, then we can help him. Sound good?"

There were murmurs of agreement, but Pudding was frowning.

"But what if he can't hold them off by himself, na no da? The aliens outnumber him by a lot!"

Zakuro mad eherself noticed by smiliing and ruffling Pudding's short blond hair. "Don't worry, Pudding. Kisshu can act idiotic at times, but he's jot a fool. I believe his strategy will be a sneak-and-go sort of thing."

Ryou cleared his throat and looked over to Pai, who nodded. He stood.

"All right. We don't have much time and we certainly can't afford to lose any, so we'd best be going. Pai and Taruto will help us navigate our way to the Mew Aqua. We must go as quickly as we can, since the other aliens are bound the be regrouping and organizing themselves.

Lettuce nodded, Zakuro stood as well, and Pudding bounced in her seat.

"Does this mean we can transform now, na no da?"

"Not yet, Pudding. Save it for the enemy."

"Aww ...well, if you say so."

She pouted, looking put out, but Taruto bumped her with his shoulder and rolled his eyes.

"Idiot! It's not like it's never going to happen! Be patient for once, eh?"

She brightened instantly. "If Taru-Taru says so!"

"S-Stop calling me that!"

"Nuh uh!"

The older members of the group sighed as the two youngest argued.

"Come on, you two lovebirds can fight on the way over there," Ichigo said.

"W-We're not -"

"- lovebirds, na no da!"

"Aww, even finishing each other's sentences! How cute!" Berry squealed teasingly. Pudding and Taruto flushed.

"Sh-Shut up! Let's just get out of here!" Taruto stormed angrily out the door, and Pudding skipped after him. Ichigo, Berri and Lettuce exchanged a knowing glance and Pai sighed.

"Let us move. We have little time to spare."

With that, the rest of the group filtered out the door.

~::*::~::*::~

Mint tapped her fingers irritably on her bedsheets. She was getting tired of Mordecai's flirting. The alien had often commented on how much nicer she'd look "if you turned that frown upside down for me, darling" and attempted to kiss her at least twice an hour. It was rather sickening.

"Besides," she muttered. "The only guy who's allowed to get away with such actions is -" She stopped herself abruptly, a delicate pink flush spreading over her cheeks. She did _not _just think about Kisshu at a time like this.

"And anyway, that idiot was the one that got me into this situation in the first place!" Mint said angrily, bringing her fist down on her pillow. "Stupid Kisshu, stupid Kisshu, _stupid_ -"

"Gee, that's some way to talk about your rescuer."

Mint gasped and whirled. Kisshu hovered lazily near the edgee of her bed, idly inspecting his fingernails. He smirked at her.

"Hello, birdy-chan."

"KI -!"

She choked out the first syllable of his name and then surprised herself by leaping at Kisshu and embracing him. He fell onto the bed in shock and just sat there for a moment before hesitantly putting his arms back around her. As soon as he did this, Mint froze, realizing her actions, and shoved him away.

"Ow," he groaned from the floor, pouting. "Minty, I thought we were starting to take the next step -"

"Sh-Shut up! It's not like I'm happy to see you or anything! I-I'm just glad I have some company!" Mint stubbornly crossed her arms and turned away, sniffing haughtily. Kisshu laughed.

"So even prison can't change you, huh?"

"I said shut up!"

They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment before Mint asked, "So, what's the next step of your plan?"

"Um, I ...actually hadn't thought this far ahead, birdy. Any ideas?"

"You baka -"

"Fortunately for you two, I have."

Mint and Kisshu whirled, eyes wide, to see Mordecai standing in the room's doorway, flanked by Alex and Kira. He smirked triumphantly, only it didn't have the warm teasing edge like Kisshu's smirks did.

"Ah, Kisshu. So we meet again, and so soon! I really wish we'd done this back in training."

Kisshu snorted, casually shifting into a protective stance in front of Mint. "But they kept us so busy, you know?"

"Yes, jadi, they did indeed. So it's good we have a lot of free time now, yes?"

Mordecai casually took out something golden and began twirling it between his fingers. Mint's eyes zeroed in on it.

"My pendant!"

"Yes, darling. I suppose you want it back, yes?"

"You're damn right I -" Mint made a move to rise, but Kisshu tugged her back down.

"Nah-ah-ah, birdy-chan. Perhaps we can solve this in a peaceful fashion." He turned back to the three at the door, expression imploring.

Mordecai laughed, and Kira uttered a high, tinkling giggle.

"Dear Kisshu, if there's one thing I learned in traning, it would be that peaceful negotiations don't get anything done." Mordecai's eyes narrowed, no longer friendly.

Kisshu smiled icily. "So be it, then. It's a shame our friendship has to end this way."

"I'd say it ended a long time ago, _jadi_." Mordecai, Kira and Alex all summoned Dragon Blades at th same time Kisshu summoned his. Mint tried to get up again, but Kisshu shook his head and pushed her back down.

"You're defenseless, Minty. Let me handle this."

"Idiot! There's three of them! You'll be defeated in no time!"

Kisshu only smiled at her, and this smile scared her. It was a smile full of resolution, a smile that said 'I'm gonna lose, but hell, I'm gonna do it in style.'

And Mint didn't like it one bit.

"Kisshu -"

"Shh, Minty. If I ...If I live, I'll tell you a secret, 'kay? Just," he lowered his voice, "run for it while they're distracted. You've gotta make it to the other Mews."

He hesitated before turning to face Mordecai again. Mint heard him whisper one last thing.

"And tell Ichigo ...tell her to be happy with that Masaya kid ...tell her I've found someone new."

Then, he tensed and leapt, much like a cat.

The battle had begun.

**~::*::~::*::~**

**A/N: I'm very sorry for the late update, but I KNOW that won't even begin to cover it. It's been nearly a year, someone slap me ...**

**Taruto: *attempts to raise hand***

**Not a chance, space boy. Anyway, I've been very busy since moving to my new school, so please give me some time!**

**And I've also discovered Hetalia. /shame**

**Which is my new TAO ...please bear with me ...**

**Anyway, expect earlier updates. I'm working on another fanfic at the moment so it won't be too soon, but we've only got a few chapters to go!**

**Thanks for the reviews! And please don't forget to R&R!**


	9. Black feather

As she watched Kisshu and Mordecai fight, Mint felt frozen. Kira and Alex supported their leader, leaving Mint out on the side, unnoticed and helpess to do anything. Her wide eyes simply stared as injury after injury appeared on Kisshu. She knew he wouldn't be able to keep this up for long ...

_I can't just stand here. I've gotta -!_

As she watched Kish send Kira whirling with a vicious slash, she suddenly understood.

_I've gotta run._

That's what Kisshu was fighting for, wasn't it? To give her a chance to escape? Mint's jaw tightened, a feeling of shame washing over her, but she knew that she'd only get in his way if she stayed. So, whispering a silent apology and wasting no time, she whirled and bounded towards the window.

She heard an exclamation of anger behind her, but she ignored it. One step ...two steps ...three steps, and then -!

She was soaring over the city, staring at the busy road sixty feet below. But she wasn't afraid; after all, this _was_ her element.

"All birds were meant to fly," Mint murmured, inaudibly, before she began to fall.

Spreading herself out, she felt herself slow down until she was floating gently downwards, tapping the ground lightly when she landed.

Whirling, she dashed down the street; she'd seen the city's layout from above and recognized this as the road five blocks from the hotel. Murmuring swift apologies as she pushed people aside, Mint sped up. Time was running out. She _had _to find the others before -!

Out of the blue, she slammed into someone full-on. With a grunt, she fell to the ground.

"Hey, watch where you're going, you uncivilized peasant! Do you happen to know who I am?!"

She stood angrily, brushing herself off before bothering to look up - and gasped.

"I think everyone knows who you are, Mint-chan."

"Ichigo?!" Mint's hands flew to her mouth in shock. "Y-You're back!"

"And so are you!" Berri pushed her way forwards and threw herself at Mint, sobbing. "We thought -oh, _Mint_! We thought you were -!"

"Mint, where is Kisshu?" Pai interrupted Berry, stepping forward. His normally impassive eyes reflected slight worry. "He went to look for you, did he not? Though it was a foolish move on his behalf without anyone to back him up -"

"Pai." Mint's voice was soft, and her eyes began to prickle again. "Pai, he ..."

"He's what?" Taruto jogged over, his own eyes wide.

"He's fighting the Clyconi ...but he's losing because he's alone."

"He ..." Taruto was nearly speechless. And then he whirled on Mint. "Why didn't you help him?!"

"Mordecai has my pendant! What was I supposed to do?!" Mint felt herself getting angry. "Do you really think that I would've left him on his own?"

"You did either way! You'd do anything to keep your precious nails from getting broken!"

"Don't you _dare_ accuse me of -"

"You're a stupid old crone -"

"You ignorant brat -"

"_This is all your fault anyway_!" Taruto's shout echoed off the buildings, attracting the attention of some passerby. "If you hadn't run out like an _idiot_, he wouldn't have had to save you! And now he's gonna die for you!"

"Taruto!" Pai said sharply. He pushed the younger back. "That is _enough_!"

Taruto's eyes swam with tears, and he sniffed, backing away. In a choked voice, he said, "I don't want to lose Kisshu ..."

"We will not," Pai said quietly. In a very un-Pai-like gesture, he gently patted the boy's head. "Kisshu always find a way."

And Mint, seeing this, had never felt more terrible.

It started to rain again.

~::*::~::*::~

"How does it feel, Kisshu?"

Mordecai's voice was cheerful despite the situation he was in. Kisshu panted, one of his arms clutching at his exposed midriff and the other wavering weakly in front of him in a halfhearted attempt at defense. Mordecai smirked and twirled a dragon blade, stepping over the unconscious Alex and Kira.

"You put up a good fight, it's true. But for what?"

"I have ...my ...own reasons ..." Kisshu choked out the words, struggling not to cry out in agony. His leg trembled, the wound from his thigh dripping blood down his leg.

"It's a shame that Mint left you in your time of greatest need, isn't it?" Mordecai's expression morphed into one of mock sympathy. "She won't even get a chance to say goodbye."

"She ...won't need to." Kisshu lunged forward, teeth bared, and swiped at Mordecai in a sloppy offensive move. The other alien parried it easily and twisted, and Kisshu's last remaining dragon blade skittered across the floor, far out of reach. Kisshu fell to his knees, his teeth gritting, and Mordecai's lips curved into a slow, sadistic grin.

"Oh, dear Kisshu. Just as idealistic as you were in training." Mordecai leaned down, watching blood leak from Kisshu's nose. "You and I both know you won't make it out of this."

"Don't care ...good cause." Kisshu's tired whisper was barely caught by Mordecai, who stood up and laughed.

"How romantic! You would die for a human who has treated you less than favorably from the start ...have you not been in this situation before?"

Kisshu's eyes squeezed shut as memories flooded back.

-o-

_"Thanks for the kiss."_

_"So we meet again! I see my kiss was good, eh? Wanna try again?"_

_"I've come to pick you up!"_

_"You're really worried about him, huh?"_

_"This is mine! You can't have her!"_

_"Forget him and listen to me, Ichigo."_

_"I'll save you, because you're special."_

_"I love you, Ichigo."_

_"What's so special about him?!"_

_"...kill me."_

_"C'mon! Cry for me -!"_

_"I'll take you with me ... to paradise."_

_"Listen to me, dammit!"_

_"Look at me! Stop thinking about him!"_

_"Why?! Why do you have to love him?!"_

_"I'll ...buy you more time."_

_"Wait! Ichigo's different! She's ..."_

_"There's nothing more important to me than Ichigo now!"_

_"What am I supposed to do for you?!"_

_"What can I do to make you stay with me?"_

_"How can I ever make you love me?"_

_"I ..."_

_"Why ...why are you crying?"_

_"Holding you, even for a moment ...it's so precious."_

_"Thank you."_

-o-

"Didn't ...I wasn't ..." Kisshu's vision was blurring over, his words slurred. He could feel his body slowly freezing over.

"Didn't you learn your lesson last time, Kisshu?" Mordecai sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You keep getting attached, but that'll only hurt you in the end. You died for the pink Mew," Mordecai ran a finger over the blade of his Dragon Sword, "and she forgot about you as soon as she heard her beloved's voice. Poor you, Kisshu."

Kisshu twitched as he tried to heave himself up, but collapsed. His eyes slid closed.

"Don't worry. I'll make it quick." Kisshu heard he rustle of fabric as Mordecai lifted his Dragon Sword.

Darkness.

~::*::~::*::~

The Mew crew and the two aliens that accompanied them were moving as swiftly as they could in the rain towards the warehouse where Pai had pinpointed the Mew Aqua-like substance when, suddenly, Taruto and Pai froze. The others kept running, streaming around them, before stopping as well, turning in bewilderment.

"Pai-san, what's wrong?" Keiichiro stepped forward curiously.

"Taru-Taru?"

"He ...he can't ..." Pai's face wore an expression of absolute shock. Taruto, next to him, began to tremble.

"Kisshu-hiiyo ..." Taruto began to tremble, his eyes tearing up.

"W-What is it?" Lettuce ventured forwards nervously. "Did something happen to Kisshu?"

At this, tears streaked down Taruto's face in earnest. Alarmed, Pudding bounded over to him, blinking in shock when he actually threw his arms around her to sob into her shoulder.

"Yes," Pai said gravely. His face slowly morphed into one of grief.

"He is ...dead."

"Wh-What?" Ichigo's shocked whisper cut through the silence. Taruto's head snapped up from Pudding's shoulder.

"Kisshu's dead! Dead! He's dead ..." Taruto's sobs choked off, and Pudding's own eyes teared up.

"There is no other alternative," Pai said. Everyone looked at him, and he bowed his head. "We must find the Mew Aqua as soon as possible."

Without another word, they set off, moving even faster than before.

As Mint ran to keep up with the others, her chest ached with an emptiness that she couldn't even begin to wonder how to fill.

~::*::~

"There!"

At Ryou's shout, the team halted, staring up at the rickety old warehouse. It was stationed on a tall drop-off near Lake Erie, overlooking its vast expanse. One could even see a shoreline on the other side if they squinted.

"We cannot waste more time than we have," Pai declared solemnly. As he started forward, a dagger whipped out of the blue, catching him on the ear. With a grunt of surprise, he stepped back.

Four Clyconi stood in front of the warehouse entrance, with about eight Kirema Anima behind them. One of them stepped forward with a hard expression.

"You will not pass, Tokyo Mew Mew. The Aqua is ours."

"What? After coming all this way?!" Ichigo drew her pendant at the same time the others did. "I don't think so!"

"Mews, let's go!" Berri raised her pendant, and all the other Mews but Mint followed her lead.

"Mew Mew Strawberry!"

"Mew Mew Berri!"

"Mew Mew Zakuro!"

"Mew Mew Retatsu!"

"Mew Mew Pudding, na no da!"

"_METAMORPHOSIS_!"

In a burst of multicolored light, the Mews had transformed. Mint backed away to where Keiichiro and Ryou were crouching behind a nearby tree.

"I should be fighting with them," she murmured lowly. Keiichiro put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Mint-san. You'll be helping soon enough."

"Pudding! Lettuce! Zakuro! You take care of the Animas! Berri and I will get the aliens!" The addressed Mews nodded before moving into place

"Ribbon! Pudding Ring Inferno!"

"Ribbon! Lettuce Rush!"

"Ribbon! Zakuro Spear!"

"Berri," Ichigo murmured as she warily watched the advancing aliens, who had drawn daggers. The white mew nodded.

"Ribbon! Strawberry Check!"

"Ribbon! Loveberry Check!"

The aliens were blasted backwards by the rain of pink and white spheres. However, they quickly regained their composture and threw dagger after dagger. The pink and white Mews dodged, but some caught on their clothing and tails, ripping the fabric and causing minor cuts.

"I-Ichigo! We can't keep this up!" Berri shouted over the sound of the Anima screeches and shouts of the other Mews, dodging the wicked blades.

"Hai! So let's collaborate!" Berri immediately understood and leaped over to Ichigo.

"_Ribbon_!"

A swirling halo of pink and white swiftly gathered around the two Mews, forming a shield. The daggers bounced off harmlessly. The aliens shouted in confusion, and even the Animas were distracted, giving the other Mews and advantage.

"Wh-What's going on?" Mint peered from behind the tree with wide eyes, but Ryou pulled her back.

"I think you'd better take cover, Minty. They're performing a joint attack."

Mint shut her eyes as the light became ever brighter.

"_DOUBLEBERRY CHECK_!"

Some of the Kirema Anima were destroyed from the sheer force of the power convergence. The aliens cried out as they were blasted backwards over the drop-off and into the lake, where they landed with noisy splashes. Wasting no time, Ichigo and Berri turned to help the other Mews fight off the remaining Kirema Anima.

"Now!" whispered Ryou, and he and Keiichiro took Mint's hands and stood abruptly, running as fast as they could towards the warehouse entrance.

"What -"

"Hush, Mint," Keiichiro chided gently. Warily, they crept along the wall of the warehouse, avoiding any lashing Anima appendages, before ducking inside.

Inside the warehouse, there was darkness, only penetrated by a lone blue light. Looking up, the trio quickly located the source; the Aqua.

It hovered in a glassy sphere protected by a light barrier, within which being a gel-like, crystalline substance, which shifted and flowed as if pushed by an invisible wind. The sphere and Aqua glowed brightly, illuminating a substantial potion of the warehouse.

"There," a voice whispered from their right. Looking over, Mint saw able to see Pai and Taruto standing a little ways away, staring up at the Aqua as well. "That is what we need."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go up and get it!" said Ryou, gesturing upwards. Pai shook his head.

"It is not that simple. The substance can only be handled by that whom it has chosen. If we tried to seize it, it would expel the life-force from our bodies."

"But who has it chosen?"

"Ah, how delightful of you to ask." A voice cut through their conversation, slicing through the darkness easily. "Allow me."

The five whipped around to see Mordecai and six other Clyconi step from the shadows of the warehouse where the Aqua's glow did not reach. Mordecai was smirking, casually twirling a Dragon Blade between his nimble hands.

"You!" Taruto snarled. He summoned his own weapon, the "click-clack" balls that he had grown fond of over the years. His eyes crackled in anger as he raised them.

"_Ho Rai_ -!"

"Stop!"

Pai's arm flashed out, interrupting the downward arc of Taruto's weapon. The younger alien stumbled, and Pai caught him.

"Do not be impulsive," he chided quietly, though his own eyes were dark with fury. "It will cost us. We must wait until the right time."

Taruto glared at his brother for a few seconds before reluctantly reverting his eyes. He sniffed and nodded shortly.

"Whatever. I just want to see that bastard's life-force bleed from him by my own hand."

Pai turned back to their adversaries.

"What do you want, Mordecai?"

"We want the pink Mew," the alien grinned, his eyes sparking mischievously. "As you said, only the Chosen can touch the Aqua, and she is it. Now," he stepped forward, one arm extended, "Give her to me."

"No! Helping you out is the last thing we're going to do!" Ryou glared at Mordecai, who simply chuckled, withdrawing his arm.

"Ah, I had anticipated you saying that. Flan, Xander, please bring forth our welcoming gift to the Mews."

Two aliens, a petite, dark-haired female and a stocky blond male, stepped forward, carrying something in between them. Mint couldn't make out what it was until they reached the light. At once, she froze, while Taruto cried out and Pai made a strangled noise of horror.

It was Kisshu.

"_Kisshu-hiiyo_!" Tauto darted forwards, but Pai caught him and held him back. "No! _No_! Let me go! _Let me go_, Pai!"

"Taruto, calm yourself!" Pai was forced to tighten his hold as Taruto thrashed around, trying to summon his weapons. "Think of what you are doing!"

"Kisshu ..." Mint's voice escaped her in a choked whisper at she stared at the lifeless form of the Cynipcian. He looked so fragile, so helpless dangling between the two guards, his legs limp and his feet dragging along the floor. Without her even noticing it, Mints eyes welled up.

He'd died. For her. And she couldn't ...she hadn't even ...

"Ryou"? Keiichiro's voice barely registered to Mint. "What are we going to do?"

Ryou's teeth gritted. He averted his eyes from Kisshu's unmoving body.

"Give her to them."

Keiichiro's eyes widened in surprise. "But- "

"Mordecai!" Ryou pushed past Keiichiro and Pai, who was now holding a now subdued and sobbing Tart. "If you give us Kisshu, we'll trade. We ...we'll give you Mew Ichigo."

Mordecai's grin widened. "Excellent." He stepped into the center of the room. "I eagerly await."

"Mint. Go get Ichigo." Ryou's voice finally snapped Mint from her thoughts. She whirled on him.

"Ryou! What are you thinking?! There's no way you can just fork over Ichigo like that!"

"Mint, I shall do whatever I deem best." Ryou took Mint's hand suddenly and pulled her over to the door. "Just go, all right?"

Mint glared at him as she reluctantly stepped out into the sunlight. "You'll regret this, Ryou."

Giving him no time to reply, she spun and ran off towards where the other Mews stood, panting, in a circle of limp and twitching Kirema Anima parasites.

"Mint! What's going on?" Ichigo stepped forwards. "Is everyone oka -?"

"Ichigo," Mint murmured, her fists squeezing tightly. "You need to ..."

She stopped abruptly, her fists squeezing again. Could it be ..? But it wasn't possible!

"Mint?" Berry peered at the lorikeet Mew worriedly. "Are you okay?"

Mint didn't answer. Slowly, without looking down, she raised the hand that Ryou has grasped, bringing it to her face before opening it.

In her palm rested a shiny Mew pendant, glinting in the sun.

"Your pendant!" Lettuce came forward for a closer look. "But ...I thought that Mordecai had it?"

"I thought so too," Mint murmured. She slid a finger over the pendant's front; it felt smooth and cold.

"Does it work?" Ichigo asked. Mint looked at her and back to the brooch.

"Let me see ..." Mint brought the pendant to her lips. "Mew Mew Minto! Metamorphosis!"

A familiar warmth washed over Mint. With a bright flash, the transformation was complete. Eagerly, Mint looked at herself -

- to find that she'd only gained her lorikeet wings and tail. The pendant hung from a blue-green choker around her neck. She tried to swallow her disappointment.

"It's not a full transformation, but it's still useful!" Ichigo patted her friend on the back, smiling encouragingly. "Now, why did you come out here?"

Mint's throat seemed to close. She avoided Ichigo's eyes.

"You ...have to come with me. Quickly. Before they come looking for us."

"Mint?"

"Come on, Ichigo."

Mint's half-transformation dissolved as she led the way into the warehouse. Inside, all was silent except for the faint tinkling of the faux Mew Aqua.

"Here," she said quietly, her voice echoing in the silence. Mordecai grinned widely, while Keiichiro and the other Mews looked on with wide eyes.

"M-Mint?" Ichigo's voice was frightened, her eyes riveted on the alien as he made his was over, "Mint, what's going -"

"Ichigo, please step forward to Mordecai." Ryou's voice cut the cat Mew off. She looked at him, her eyes shifting to anger.

"Ryou! What do you think you're doing?!"

Closing his eyes briefly, Ryou replied, so softly no one but himself could hear,

"Saving our team."


	10. Orange feather

Kisshu's body was dumped unceremoniously at the feet of Taruto and Pai, who instantly swarmed on him, gathering him up. Taruto had stopped crying and was now gazing at the limp form with a blank, unmoving stare.

Mint and all the Mews but Ichigo could only watch helplessly as their leader was escorted roughly by Mordecai to the center of the area. He made an odd hand gesture, and at once the Mew Aqua began to float down to him.

"Ryou, we can't just watch!" Lettuce's voice was surprisingly steady as she turned on the blond manager, whose eyes were downcast.

"We just have to wait," he replied. Zakuro started forward, but Keiichiro caught her by the arm.

"We can't do anything now, Zakuro-san," he murmured, letting her go. Clenching her fists, she turned back, helpless.

"Now, Chosen Mew," Mordecai said, smiling widely, "Take the Mew Aqua."

"No!" Ichigo yanked away from him, her ears flattened. "You can't make me!"

"Oh, can't I?" He tilted his head, and at once, several aliens streamed from the shadows behind him. "Would you like to support that statement?"

Ichigo hesitated, and two of the guards started forward, snatching Pudding before anything could be done about it."

"Pudding!" Taruto cried, his gaze suddenly brightening with alarm. Pudding's own eyes were wide as she looked from side to side.

"Oh no, na no da ..."she whispered.

"Take the Aqua, or we will dismember your yellow friend as slowly and painfully as possible, and then move on to the rest of your friends until only the you are left." Mordecai's voice was low and dangerous, and his guards summoned their Dragon Blades as soon as he was done talking.

"I-Ichigo ..." Pudding's voice was hushed and full of fright, and Ichigo looked over. The pink Mew's lip trembled, and her eyes filled with tears.

Her shoulders slumped, and she turned to the Aqua silently, slowly reaching out to it ...

And was abruptly blasted backwards, crashing through the alien ranks to slam into the warehouse wall.

"_Ichigo_!" Pudding's shriek resonated through the building. Ryou's head snapped up.

"_Now_!"

At once, the Mews summoned their weapons and leaped forward, along with Ryou and Keiichiro, who had taken out their extendable metal bo-staffs, and Taruto and Pai, who had moved Kisshu out of the way, summoned their respective weapons, and joined the fight. She quickly changed into her half-transformed state, steeled herself, and leapt into the fray, where there were slashing Dragon Blades and energy blasts raining from every direction.

At once, three alien guards converged on her. She backed away from them as they raised their blades.

"_Ribbon! Mint Arrow!_"

To her surprise, the bright blue arrow she was accustomed to appeared, cold and smooth and shining brightly. She fired it one, two, three times, and down the guards went. Gripping it tightly, she fought her way through the crowd, her accuracy never wavering.

And then, she found herself at the edge of the chaos, and saw Ichigo's body.

"Ichigo!" She wasted no time, dashing over as her bow vanished and kneeling by the cat Mew's side. Ichigo's face was extremely pale, her breathing very faint. Mint's hands fluttered helplessly above the other girl's body for a few seconds before Ichigo's lips moved.

"Mint ..."

"No, Ichigo! Don't talk ... w-we'll ...we'll get you out of this! You're going to be fine -"

"Mint, the Aqua ..."

"Are you crazy?!" Mint's eyes were wide, scared. "That nearly killed you! You can't try to get it again!"

"Not ...not me. You, Mint ..." Ichigo's breaths were becoming increasingly ragged.

Mint flinched a little. "Wh ...what?"

"When I touched the Mew Aqua, it ...it gave me a message ...that you are the Chosen Mew, not me." Ichigo coughed weakly. "Mint, you ...have to get to it ...before it disappears again ..."

"But I don't know what to do with it! You're the only one who ..." She looked back at Ichigo, only to discover that the girl's eyes were closed. "Ichigo?"

The girl had stopped breathing.

For a few seconds, Mint sat there stunned, but that didn't last long. She stood quickly, rising into the air above the battle and gliding quickly to the Mew Aqua, which hid floated over into a forgotten corner.

"For you, Ichigo," she murmured, "and you, Kish."

She reached for it ...

...and her fingers slipped past the barrier and touched the sphere. Breathing quickly, she drew it out and cradled it within her hands, staring at the substance.

"At last!" A hand whipped from nowhere, seizing the sphere. "The Mew Aqua will be mine!"

"_No_!" Mint tightened her grip, yanking the Aqua away from Mordecai and back towards her.

"Just give it to me, pretty bird," the alien grunted as the wrestled for the Aqua. Mint's foot swung from the side and slammed into Mordecai's midriff, causing him to let out an "_oof_" and jerk, wrenching the sphere from Mint's hands and flinging it into the air. As she leaped for it, he snatched at her, ripping the choker that held her makeshift pendant in place. Still soaring upwards, she barely managed to grasp the end of the choker as the pendant swung towards the sphere and penetrated it, merging with the Aqua inside.

Mint barely had time to cry out before she was immersed in blue.

~::*::~::*::~

_Where am I_?

Mint floated in an open space, surrounded by puffy clouds in an azure sky. She didn't feel her lips move or hear the words, rather, she _felt_ them. She struggled to move, but was only able to turn in a circle. Sighing, she looked up.

She gasped silently. Kisshu sat in his normal strange way, his feet pressed together and his arms straightened, the heels of his palms pressed to the heels of his feet. Hi smiled at her, and she felt her heart skip a beat, for which she inwardly cursed.

_Kisshu? But you ...you're ..._

"Well, not technically," he said, and she was surprised at being able to hear his voice. "I'm still going through that phase in which all my bodily functions freeze, but my conscious is still trapped inside my body."

_Then why am I here__?_

"Because you touched the Aqua," Kisshu said, unfolding his limbs and floating closer. "You were it's Chosen, birdy-chan, so it sucked you in here so you could proceed."

_I told you not to call me that! _Mint tried to scowl, but failed. _And proceed with what?_

"This is only a power similar to the Mew Aqua, _birdy-chan_." Kisshu smirked when she scowled for real. "So it works a little differently."

_How so?_

"Well, for one, it, uh ..." Kisshu rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "It sorta killed you."

_WHAT?!_

"No, no, calm down!" Kisshu put his hands up in a gesture of peace. "Don't worry! You're in the same state as me! But if you want to complete our mission, you've gotta choose in order to proceed."

_Choose ..? What do you mean?_

Almost as if on cue, the clouds around Mint swirled to form a flat screen, on which a live feed of the battle appeared. She watched as Pudding, who had discovered Ichigo, fought viciously against four aliens, tears streaming down her round face. She watched as Zakuro, heavily wounded with slashes from Dragon blades, struggled to fight while holding an unconscious Keiichiro. She watched as Berry and Ryou were slowly overcome from the sheer number of guards and their lack of energy, their loss of advantage without Ichigo. And she watched as Lettuce fought next to Pai, her green eyes wide with fear as they cut down guard after guard.

The cloud-screen floated over next to Kisshu, who was looking away. After a few seconds, he looked back at her.

"You could return to them, Mint. As you can see, they need you, but ..."

She looked at him, confused. _But?_

His golden gaze burned into hers, and Mint found herself wondering where she had ever seen eyes so pretty.

"But I need you too, birdy-chan."

Mint's eyes widened when he came forwards and took both her hands in his. He pressed them to his lips, and she blushed.

"All that time before, I was always after Ichigo. I thought she was the prettiest, bravest, most amazing creature _anywhere_. She gave herself up for the greated good without a second thought, she never backed down from a challenge, she was loyal, and ..." Kisshu blinked, hard. "She was the first girl to ever stand up to me. To ...refuse me. On our planet, heh, I'm pretty popular, but I never had any interest in the Cynipcian girls. They were missing something, and Ichigo had it. I was sure that my ...I mean, y-you know. That I'd never so much as glance at another." Kisshu's cheeks colored slightly, and Mint raised an eyebrow, wondering where he was going with this. She'd never seen him so emotional before ...

"But it turns out I'd been chasing the wrong girl the whole time. That my blindness nearly cost me something greater." Kisshu looked up at her again, and a small smile grew on his face. "I'm ...so glad that you stood between me and Ichigo at that shop, Mint. Because if you hadn't, I wouldn't have ..." His blush spread, but he held her eyes determinedly. "I wouldn't have come to know you, and that's the best damn thing that's ever happened to me."

_Kisshu!_ Mint reprimanded, her own face resembling a tomato.

He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry! But Mint, I ...I, eh -"

The sound of splintering wood shattered the moment, and Mint's eyes snapped to the screen. Pudding, standing on shaky legs, was alone standing in front of Keiichiro, Ryou, Lettuce, and Taruto and Pai, who were collapsed and bleeding, unable to get up. The monkey Mew's eyes were wide with fright, streaming tears.

Mint felt her own eyes water. Pudding didn't deserve this; she didn't deserve to see her friends get killed one by one. Lettuce and Zakuro didn't deserve to have to die in some dusty warehouse; Pai and Taruto did not deserve to take their last breaths on a foreign planet at the hands of their own people.

None of them deserved to suffer while she floated in some cloudy dreamland.

_Kisshu,_ she (said? thought?) softly. _I miss you, your brothers miss you ...even Ichigo misses you. But I am a Mew Mew ...and I have a job to do._

Kisshu drew back, squeezing her hand once, gently, before letting go.

"I understand," he said, his eyes downcast. But then, he nodded, and his usual smirk was back.

"Do me proud, birdy-chan. Although I'd rather you just do me -"

_Kisshu!_ Mint's blush had darkened, and she scowled at him. At once, it was as if bindings had vanished from her body; she was able to move again. She shot a quick, small smile over at him.

_Goodbye, Kish._

He turned away, slowly fading. The screen expanded and shot forward, enveloping Mint in a whirl of icy softness. Before she had completely left, she heard Kisshu say one last thing.

_Goodbye, birdy-chan_.

And then she was gone.

~::*::~::*::~

**I'm baack~! And with two new chapters! I've been busy, but finally my little story has grown! **

**I'm so, so, sososo sorry for taking so long! High school is harder than ever, and we're thrown exam after exam ...it's so hard to find free time nowadays! But I got these two little treats done anyways, heheh! So, er, we're cool right?**

**...guys? Is that a crowbar?**

**...**

**...**

**uh-oh.**


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